ok.... i read the posts you all made up to leaving for shopping (well.. i read the other ones.. but i had already taken the plunge! )

friday we went to palm springs cyclery to look at bikes... got a TON of information from our favorite guy there.... test rode a couple of bikes (i now know i DO make circles when i pedal.. cuz i kept lifting my feet off the pedal! *rolls eyes*)

he was leaning toward the trek 3900 or higher (said anything lower was more of a street bike and i would not be able to do any harder trails, etc)

ok.. that was fine.. i liked the matte black/grey and he could order it in my size... they had nothing available for hubby.. not even to be ordered! (well.. not within our price point for him) hey also said to stay away from the specialized hardrock cuz it was more bike than either of us needed and heavy (uhm.. they are ALL heavy compared to road bike!)

so after our ride saturday morning we set off for a day of bike shopping.. first store.. nothing... 2nd store.. they had the 3900.. in my size.. AND the hardrock that i fist posted about.. it's even prettier in person! (even though it's the same dark blue as my dolce!) i LOVED the little dolce diamonds on it and the scripty writing... they had a small so i made hubby get it off the rack... but i kept remember what scott had told us the previous evening.. OH... they also had the cute little trek steel 820! (and yes it is heavier than snowtulips, corsairmac... but such a CUTE bike!) i kept looking at the hardrock wds.. finally the guy said to take it for a ride.. i did.. YUCK! the seat was way too low.. didn't realize it was QR so brought it back in and hubby fixed the seat... took it back out.. and liked it much better... in the meantime they found a nice 2004 bike and showed it to hubby... so he came out and we tooled around the parking lot together.. then i went up on the sidewalk and off the curb... FUN! lol then i did it again! and again! (i know.. i know! ) hubby liked the bike they showed him... so i asked "what do you want to do".. well.. he wanted to keep looking.. so we checked closing time... the guy said "you'll be back" referring to the bike/deal for hubby... and off we went!

we went to REI... i did love their poweder blue wsd bike... but it was more (better components)... found a gary fisher tassajara (spelling?).. cute.. better components.. but didn't like the color... even checked out performance and supergo.... they had the specialized hardrock, too... didn't find anything else i like (or that hubby liked)... HOWEVER! i did find an adorable pair of baggy mtn bike shorts and matching shirt on clearance! and some full finger dark blue gloves on sale! ) we also bought 2 inexpensive cateye wireless 7 computers... cuz hubby already had 2 bikes programmed in his polar and i plan to one of these years! lol! and candy sl pedals....

i was still undecided.. knew the hardrock was "heavy" (that being relative cuz ALL the mountain bikes felt heavy to me!) but i really liked it... thought it was pretty.. would have preferred the better shifters/components.. but also didn't really want to spend the extra money not knowing if i would take to mtn biking AND... even more importantly.. i know me.. and i wanted to have STUFF to go with it! (as in the outfits, puter, and also shoes etc!)

finally hubby said: i've never seen someone have so much fun on a bike in a parking lot... so if that's the bike you want... then get that one.... sooooooo rather then spend the extra money on the rei bike.... we called in cycle to make sure they hadn't sold "our" bikes and headed back up to chino! as we walked in.. he was smiling.. and hubby said "go ahead and say it: i told you so!"

i kicked myself for not picking up spare tubes at specialized (did put in an order to performance.. so will have them by wednesday!) and i shoulda picked up a topeak wedge at rei... (will order it or just wait til we are down there again!) (see what i mean about needing STUFF!!!!)

we went for a roadbike ride first thing in the morning... came home... i added some shorts over my bike shorts (won't do that again! they kept catching on the seat.. but they were also too large anyways!)... and off we went to tool around... started out on our streed (that is full of sand and huge rocks that i can't ride on with the road bike)... no problem!... then turned down a street and road in the dirt on the side of the road! rode over the humps (not curbs.. but at the side of the road....) then headed to the "road" that is next to the flood wash... have to climb a little bitty short but steep hill... uhm... nope... good thing the candy's clip out easily! went down.. tried again.. nope... however.. the third time's a charm! i DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!! tooled around on the "road" went down and came back up on.. went the opposite way where there was a lot more rocks.. then headed into the wash.. hmmmm no fun anymore the sand was way deep and way loose... did a lot of pushing.. so we came back closer to the "road" and harder packed ground.. ahhhhh fun again! went up the hill on to the road and headed for the desert across the street from us... had to push the bike part way up that hill (hey.. i'm still a newbie!)

then headed down the street to another area of the desert... again with the soft, deep sand (i don't even like walking the dogs in that one spot)... and headed up the hill... i got quite a ways!! woo hoo!!!! took a few pics and then headed down the hill... fun! i made it up to 10mph coming down... i'm so brave!!!!!!!! i was sad when it was time to go home.. but it was getting hotter and hotter and you don't get the wind cooling you like on a road bike!...

so my first ride was a pleasant experience (even with the icky deep, soft sand part) and i can't wait to ride again! i told hubby that tonight instead of the road bike.. i want to ride the moutain bike some on the road and do a bit of tooling around the desert!

(he even rode his mtn bike to work... IN THE RAIN this morning! it wasn't raining at home when he left.. but there was thunder... he rode about 1.5-2 miles in a downpour and was soaked.. but said it was fun! lol!) ya... i don't even care if it rains all day or is raining tonight cuz now i have my fun new roadbike!

(sorry so long....)